Torah and New Testament Foundations-Understanding the Redemption-Part 9

We have a similarity with Moses in the Egyptian, or First, Redemption and Yeshua of the Messianic, or Second, Redemption. Could we say that Moses and Messiah are equals? No, of course not. Messiah will be much greater than Moses, and the Messianic Redemption will be much greater that the First, or Egyptian, Redemption. But we do have this pattern that is developing. The goal was not to just “come out of Egypt.” The goal with Yeshua was not to just be resurrected. Once out of Egypt, they had to go to Mount Sinai and receive the Torah in order to “serve” the Lord (Exo 8.1). They also received the Mishkan so that when they moved, the Shekinah would go with them. There was also the promise of the land of Canaan. So, we have in the Messianic Redemption the resurrection, which is like the deliverance out of Egypt. But, the Messianic Kingdom is like coming to Mount Sinai and receiving the Torah, and we are at this place before we go on to the Olam Haba, which is the actual “menuchah” or “rest.” In other words, in the Messianic Redemption, we are brought out of Egypt and we have a place in the resurrection to come. But, we have been “let go” or “sent out” in order to serve the Lord. So we come to Mount Sinai and we receive the Torah in our hearts (Jer 31.31-34) and we are on our way to the promised land called the Olam Haba.

Let’s look at the term “shaliach” in other parts of the Tanak. These will be patterns for the greater deliverance. In Gen 45.4-5,7,8 Joseph becomes “vizier” and is “as Pharaoh” or in other words, he is a “shaliach.” He is like Yeshua, sent ahead to preserve life. Judges 6.12-14 tells us the story of Gideon who is a “deliverer” who is sent to save Israel from Midian. He is like Yeshua who will deliver Israel in a world-wide redemption. We learn from 1 Sam 12.8 that Moses and Aaron were sent to bring Israel out of Egypt. In 1 Sam 12.11 we have three “shaliachim” mentioned (Jerubaal/Gideon; Bedan/Samson; Jephthah), and they delivered Israel from the enemies around them.

In 1 Sam 15.1, God sent Samuel to anoint Saul and to destroy Amalek (Exo 17.14). However, we learn in 1 Sam 15.17-19 that he doesn’t do it. Saul will be a picture of the first “shaliach” Adam, who was the first king of the earth, but he also failed. He allows Agag to live, plus some livestock (15.21). We learn from Exo 17.8-16 that we will have a constant battle with the Amalekites. We are to set up a “banner” (“nissi” in Hebrew and this relates to the Messiah-Isa 11.10, 13.2, 62.10). We are to remember Amalek in all our generations because there will be a constant battle. King Saul is from Benjamin, the son of Kish. He is a type of King Adam. Isa 62.10-12 tells us about the “poretz” or “breachmaker” who comes before the Messiah to “remove the stones” that are “in the way.” Micah 2.12-13 tells us that the stones are removed by the “breaker” (poretz) so that the sheep can go out of their stone pen and go into the pasture, with the king (shepherd) at their head. Matt 11.7-14 directly relates to John as the “poretz” or “breachmaker” that was sent ahead of the Messiah to prepare the way.

In Esther 2.5 we learn about Mordechai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin. He is related to King Saul. Saul was a “shaliach” with the commission to destroy the Amalekites, but he spared King Agag in 1 Sam 15. Agag lived for awhile as a result, and his wife bore a son who became the ancestor of Haman (Est 3.1). Mordechai will be a picture of the “second Adam” (Saul was the first Adam) who will fight the Amalekites. But, where the first Adam (Saul) failed, the second Adam (Mordechai) will succeed in the Messianic Redemption. Now, here is a side note connected to this story and “misplaced mercy.”

A man named Shimei cursed David and threw stones at him and his servants as he fled from Absalom (2 Sam 16.5-14). He was part of Saul’s family, and David had mercy on Shimei and told his people to leave him alone. As a result, Shimei became an ancestor of Mordechai (Est 2.5). Saul, on the other hand, had misplaced mercy and he spared Agag, who was the ancestor of Haman, an Amalekite. He had a plan to destroy Israel, but Mordechai and Esther stopped him and Haman was destroyed, fulfilling what his ancestor Saul should have done. Mercy at the right time can produce a Mordechai (life), but mercy at the wrong time can produce a Haman (death). Let’s move forward to 1 Sam 15.20 where it says, “Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I did obey the voice of the Lord and went on a mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.'” Saul rationalizes the word of the Lord and says, “I did obey.” But that was not what Saul was sent to do (save Agag). The first Adam did not obey the Lord and it brought disaster upon all mankind and to the Kingdom of God. The second Adam (the second shaliach) will fulfill what Adam failed to do, just like Mordechai fulfilled what Saul should have done.

in 1 Chr 21.15-28 we learn that God sends an “angel” (messenger) to destroy Jerusalem because of David’s sin. It is stopped and David is instructed to buy the threshing floor of Ornan in order to build an altar. In 2 Chr 32.21 we find that God sent an angel to destroy the Assyrians. Psalm 105 17,20,26 says that Joseph is sent, Pharaoh sent and released Joseph and Moses was sent. All of these are prophecies of the Messiah as the “shaliach.” God sent his word and healed them in Psa 107.20, and in Psa 111.9 it says that God sent his redemption to the the people. Isa 48.16 says, “And now the Lord God (Father) has sent me (Messiah) and his Spirit (Ruach ha Kodesh)” and this verse is clearly referring to the Messiah. Yeshua quotes Isa 61.1 at the beginning of his ministry. Jer 7.25 and 25.4 says that the prophets were sent. Jer 25.15 says that God sent Jeremiah. Jer 1.5-10 tells us Jeremiah’s role as his “shaliach.” Yeshua taught from Moses and the Prophets “the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24.27). Other verses in the Tanak relating to the concept of the “Shaliach” are: Jer 26.12, 26.15, 28.9, 29.19, 35.15, 42.21, 43.1, 44.4, 49.14; Ezek 3.5, 3.6; Dan 6.22, 10.11; Oba1.1; Micah 6.4; Hag 1.12; Zech 1.10, 2.8, 2.9, 2.11, 4.9, 6.15, 7.12.

In Num 12.1-8 we have an interesting scene. Aaron and Miriam are both prophets (Micah 6.4) and they speak against Moses. They are contending about the “Cushite woman” that Moses had married. Josephus says that while Moses was prince of Egypt, he conquered the Cushites in Ethiopia and he was given a princess, a Cushite woman, as a wife before he married Zipporah (Josephus, Antiquities, Book 2, Chapter 10). God spoke to Moses “mouth to mouth” or face to face. Moses had a higher kedusha than Aaron and Miriam, like the high priest has a higher kedusha than the other priests (kohanim). Moses had a higher commission from the Lord as a “shaliach.” Yeshua has a higher kedusha and commission than the other shaliachim (apostles). They should not have been involved in “gossip” about their brother and the Lord put an end to it.

Now, 1 Cor 15 is called the “resurrection” chapter. It establishes the validity of it, it covers the first Adam and the second Adam and it also references Rosh ha Shannah as the “last trump” in 1 Cor 15.52 and the resurrection that happens at the Natzal. Messiah is the “first fruits” of this resurrection and this relates to one of the festivals called “Bikkurim” (First Fruits). This is the first fruits of the barley during Passover week. There is a bridge between the First Fruits of the Barley and Shavuot, also called First fruits, and that connection comes with the Counting of the Omer. This “counting” relates to the journey of Israel from Passover to Sinai. It also relates to each person having an order in the resurrection.

This chapter is talking in Temple and festival “sub-languages.” The Messiah delivers the kingdom and the Father abolishes all rule and authority. The Messiah will reign until the Father puts all his (Messiah’s) enemies under his (Messiah) feet (15.27). The Father is “excepted” in all this, who put all things in subjection to the Messiah. Then, in 1 Cor 15.28, it says that when all things are subjected to the Messiah, then the Son himself also will be subjected to the one (the Father) who subjected all things to him (Messiah). This was exactly what we learned about Joseph with Pharaoh, and that was the role of Moses in the wilderness. The “pattern” is the shadow of things to come (Col 2.17; Heb 10.1).

In Part 10, we will pick with the topic of the “son of Man” in our study of the redemption. There is much information of this concept of the Son of Man and it was a title that Yeshua used to describe himself, so it needs to be properly understood.